Daddy's Little Girl
Smacked my lips, primped my hair
Took a deep breath of the crisp cold air
Relaxed my shoulders, trying to hide
Deep feelings I had buried inside
Entering the room hoping to escape
The audience I knew I had to face
So sudden the tears welled up in my eyes
At the first sound of my mother’s cry
I caught a glimpse of my uncle cope
By speaking of my dad’s lost hope
Knowing my dad had used all his wisdom
In attempts to free my brother from prison
My dad had given up after doing all he could
To get others to accept ignorance isn’t good
He inspired others to share their voice
In recognizing mental illness is not a choice
His aura, his persona, his sensitivity to the cause
So present in the room it made me stop and pause
My dad was genuinely, deeply spiritual and real
He could make even the most hardened feel
Feeling the weight of the lump in my heart
Had to leave the room to prevent falling apart
More than once I left and did this retreat
To regain my center and get back on my feet
He had affected a variety of people it is true
So many strangers, so many I never even knew
These couples who struggled to save their own
From an illness so devastating and unknown
I felt compassion and healing in their presence
As we cried and reminisced about my dad’s existence
Classic Bob Dylan music playing in the background
So his style I felt he was still around
A slide video he narrated of all of us so young
Brought him to life hearing him dissect each one
All the emails of adoration from others in their fight
Lined the walls to exemplify his inner bright light
Adorning the hallway many letters to the editor he wrote
The substance and passion in others he provoked
His genius, his remarkable mind was brilliant
He was compassionate, centered and very resilient
So many thoughts and feelings not expressed
I wanted more time before he was put to rest
To my daddy I was his little girl
And to me he was my world
-LORI JEAN PHIPPS
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